Our preacher for the Installation with be the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, minister of 4th Universalist Church in New York City. Born and raised in Chicago, Rev. McNatt has served on the boards of the UUA and Starr King School for the Ministry, and is also a widely published writer, adjunct instructor at Union Theological Seminary, and founder of the UU Trauma Ministry.

The Installation service will be on Sunday, April 22 at 4:00pm. Reception immediately after the service.

Please join in celebrating this momentous occasion in 2U's history!

The 2U Social Justice Committee presents:

ILLINOIS CIVIL UNIONS: 

HOW DOES IT WORK?  IS IT ENOUGH?

Last June, the new Illinois Civil Unions law went into effect.  This law explicitly states it is intended to give same sex couples the same rights as married couples. 

This is a substantial change in Illinois law and everyone, gay or straight, is impacted by it.  Like all such large changes, there are many questions:  what does the new law change, and what remains to be done?  Specifically,

• How do we form a civil union? 
• Who is eligible? 
• What impact does this have on our property rights? 
• What if it doesn't work out?  Can I get alimony? 
• How would our stuff be divided up if we split up? 
• What happens when one of us dies? 
• Why not marriage?  What if the law is changed to let us marry? 

On February 26, at noon, in the sanctuary, attorneys August Staas and Brad Trowbridge will address these questions and more. 

You may ask, who are August Staas and Brad Trowbridge? 

Well, they wrote the book.  Literally. 

At the request of the Illinois State Bar Association, Brad Trowbridge and August Staas wrote the chapter on the Illinois Civil Union Act and legal issues facing same-sex couples for the Illinois State Bar Association's Illinois Family Law Handbook.  The Handbook was published in October 2011, and is used by lawyers all over Illinois to advise their same-sex couple clients.

Brad Trowbridge is a candidate for judge in the March 20, 2012 election, endorsed by the IVI-IPO.  He is an attorney in private practice concentrating in family law.  He received his JD from the University of Illinois in 2000.  Prior to practicing law, he earned an MA in Human Development Counseling and worked for over 10 years as a psychotherapist. 

August Staas is an attorney in private practice.  He received his JD from Northwestern University Law School in 1982, and for a few more months is Second Unitarian's Board Chair.  

Come enjoy an evening of folk music and fellowship, and support Second Unitarian in building the Beloved Community both inside and outside our walls.

Born near Baltimore, We're About 9 brings complex three-part vocal harmonies and a poignant, outside-the-box songwriting approach to an upbeat, fun show. Whether you see them in a Unitarian church or on the main stage of a folk festival (Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Clearwater), you're likely to find you've stayed awake on a plane, made it to Albany, sang all the body parts you could spell with three letters, and learned safe (and meaningful) concatenation with We're About 9.

You can check out We're About 9's music and preview some of their live show below, or find a lot more on their site at wereabout9.com.

Tickets - Special 2U Members and Friends tickets feature priority seating and are available for $20 after Sunday services. The first 20 Members and Friends ticket orders will also come bundled with a We're About 9 CD courtesy of the band.

If you can't make it to church, or if you prefer to use a credit card, you can buy a regular $15 ticket (plus a small processing surcharge) from Brown Paper Tickets.

Bring your hard to recycle stuff to 2U until March 4.

All items 100% recycled (No Landfill Recycling): 

See the list of items you can bring to 2U for recycling. Items will be stored in the basement of the church until March 5th when they will be picked up by the recycler. Hard drives will be shredded.

Stretch your masseter and temporalis! Sing!  The 2U choir rehearses every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. around the piano in the sanctuary - a warm corner in a cold world.  Enjoy the warmth of musical fellowship - join the choir.  For more information, email music director Marianne Parker or come to a rehearsal or - for an in-between option - call me, Myra Epping, at 773-338-4086.

Thanks on behalf of the Roots and Shoots UU Explorers to everyone who came out on February 11th for the PAWS Party. 

In the midst of a cold snap and 2U's kitchen renovation, everything came off without a hitch and party-goers had lots of old-fashioned fun. The group raised donations of $185 and gathered items to help the animals at PAWS Chicago. A donation drop off/field trip to tour of the facility will top off the fundraising. A specail thank you to all of the families who helped to provide the food and supplies that made for such a special evening.

About Roots & Shoots

The Roots and Shoots groups has been meeting once a month since September to plan ways to involve kids in making changes in their community/world.

The UU Explorers decided to help the animal community by selling pet treats at our 2U Bake Sale in December and hosting the PAWS Party. They were able to raise over $300 and bring the community together - always a nice perk!

Dr. Heidi Cullen will explore the extraordinary weather the world is experiencing, and how the ocean and atmosphere impact our climate. Dr. Cullen is a climate expert and researcher for Climate Central, a non-profit journalism and research organization that reports on climate change. She is the receipient of the 2008 National Wildlife Federation Conservationist Award for Science. Her lecture is part of the College's Science Talks series.

Date: Thu., Mar. 01, 2012

Time: 7:00 PM